Transitive and intransitive verbs

Question

Is it common, less than or very for verbs to be both transtive and intransitive? She teaches (intransitive).  "      "        English (transtive).

KrisBlueNZ · Accepted Answer

JIM1984Is it common, less than or very for verbs to be both transtive and intransitive?
She teaches (intransitive).
" " English (transtive).
Good question. I've never done a survey. I'll address the question without actually ANSWERING it!

Some verbs are intransitive only, i.e. they are things that CAN HAPPEN. Rain can FALL, a pet can DIE. You cannot FALL a thing, or DIE a thing (you can DROP it, or KILL it, though).

Some verbs are transitive only, i.e. they are things that can happen TO something. You can CUT a FINGER, or CANCEL your INSURANCE.

Some verbs can be used in both senses. That's what you're asking about. In these examples, the first sentence uses the verb in its intransitive form; the second uses the transitive form.

All he ever does is TAKE, TAKE, TAKE! / I'll TAKE a rain check.
The price is about to DROP / Don't DROP those eggs!

It's time to EAT / Don't forget to EAT your vegetables.

I don't have time to TEACH these days / Didn't he TEACH you anything?
The share price is starting to DECLINE / I'm going to DECLINE that job opportunity (different but related meanings)
Get ready to PUSH! / PUSH this button (in the first sentence, the thing to be PUSHED is implied by context, so it might be a transitive verb with the object not stated explicitly)

I've run out of examples. I think a lot of commonly used verbs can be used in both ways. Also, for some verbs, the rule may vary through history and from country to country. I can't give you percentages though.
HTH KrisBlueNZ

JIM1984 · Answer

KrisBlueNZ
JIM1984Is it common, less than or very for verbs to be both transtive and intransitive?She teaches (intransitive). " " English (transtive).
Good question. I've never done a survey.

Actually, having thought things over, it seems to be very common indeed for transitive verbs to be used intransitively as well. She sings (at the opera)\ He runs (the 60 yard dash)\ He smiles (all the time), etc, etc.
Yeah, so I think transitives can be used frequently as intranstitives. On the other hand, the following quote from a teacher indicates the reverse is not so. 'At rare time intranstive verbs are used transtively.'
There you go, that's the situtation as it appears to me anyway.

JIM1984 · Answer

JIM1984
KrisBlueNZ
JIM1984Is it common, less than or very for verbs to be both transtive and intransitive?She teaches (intransitive). " " English (transtive).
Good question. I've never done a survey.
Actually, having thought things over, it seems to be very common indeed for transitive verbs to be used intransitively as well. She sings (at the opera)\ He runs (the 60 yard dash)\ He smiles (all the time), etc, etc. Yeah, so I think transitives can be used frequently as intranstitives. On the other hand, the following quote from a teacher indicates the reverse is not so.

'At rare times intranstive verbs are used transtively.' There you go, that's the situtation as it appears to me anyway.

Sorry!

BarbaraPA · Answer

JIM1984She sings (at the opera) -- At the opera doesn't make this transitive. She sings Russian folks songs as she sews is transitive, with the direct object underlined.

He smiles (all the time) -- All the time doesn't make this transitive either. He smiles a toothy grin that lights up the whole room.

Don't confuse a complement or an adverbial phrase with a direct object. The direct object is the marker of a transitive verb.

JIM1984 · Answer

Grammar Geek
JIM1984She sings (at the opera) -- At the opera doesn't make this transitive. She sings Russian folks songs as she sews is transitive, with the direct object underlined.

He smiles (all the time) -- All the time doesn't make this transitive either. He smiles a toothy grin that lights up the whole room.

Don't confuse a complement or an adverbial phrase with a direct object. The direct object is the marker of a transitive verb.

Yeah, thanks. I think I just got caught up with what was not transitive (He smiles; he runs; she sings). I didn't think enough about the direct object needed to render the verb transtitive. Once again, thanks.

Transitive and intransitive verbs

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